Asian stock markets are bracing for significant losses as weak performance on Wall Street and fresh US trade measures against China dampen investor sentiment. Australian shares opened lower, while futures indicate that Hong Kong and Tokyo benchmarks will fall around 2% at the start of trading. Shanghai stocks are also expected to drop, signalling a tough session across the region.
The downturn in Asian equities follows a poor session in US markets. The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, the Nasdaq 100 lost over 1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fluctuated before closing with a modest gain of 0.1%. Technology stocks suffered the most, dragging down overall market performance as uncertainty clouds the artificial intelligence (AI) growth narrative.
The Nasdaq Composite slipped 1.2% on Monday, marking its second straight decline of over 1%. Companies such as Palantir, Constellation Energy, and PDD saw substantial losses, while Nike stood out…
